Spray valves



p 1960 G. E. BULLOCK 2,953,841

SPRAY VALVES Filed April 27, 1954 INVENTDR Err-:5 BBuLLncK A T1" URNEYUnited States Patent This invention relates to manually operated spray34 generally constitutes a bell-crank, and has a loop 38 adapted toembrace the reduced diameter shank 17 of the valve pin 18 forward of thehead 40' thereof. Slidably mounted upon the valve pin 18 forward of thelever arm 38 is a U-shaped member 42, the base 44 of which is aperturedand swiveled upon the forward portion of-the valves used in conjunctionwith spraying equipment, and

more particularly to the construction thereof and the method offabrication.

The valve of the present invention is of the general type disclosed inBullock Patent No. 2,285,010, and relates to a construction wherein theuse of expensive brass, bronze, or other castings is completelyeliminated, and in which a lightweight rugged valve fabricated fromsteel parts integrally welded is provided. The invention further has todo with a sequence of operations whereby the tubular members forming thea valve may be securely welded, the necessary ports provided, and theparts formed to provide a convenient size for manual grasp andoperation. t

The above and other novel features of the invention will appear morefuly hereinafter from the following detailed description when taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is expressly understoodthat the drawings are employed for purposes of illustration only and arenot designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, referencebeing had for this purpose to the appended claims. Y

In the drawings, wherein like indicate like parts:

'Figure 1 is an elevational .viewtof the valve cated in accordancewith'the invention; v

'Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view takensubstantially on the line22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 shows an initial step in the fabrication of the body portion ofthe valve, including the welding circuit;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view showing an initial contact between theparts before the welding operation is performed;

Figure 5 illustrates the subsequent step of drilling the port andforming the parts to provide a convenient hand valve construction; and

Figure 6 is a sectional view through the valve showing the operatingparts.

In Figure 1, there is shown the valve casing 10, which is in the generalform of a thimble and drawn from flat sheet metal. The thimble has aflare at one end as atlZ, a generally cylindrical body portion 14 and areduced diameter end portion 16, through which the valve-operating stem18 extends. Laterally secured to the body portion 10 is an inlet tube20, the end 22 of which is electrically butt welded to the side wall ofthe thimble or body portion 10. The inlet tube is curved as at 24, andhas a rearwardly extending portion 26 extending generally parallel withthe axis of the body portion 10. The tip end 28 is adapted to receive aflexible tube generally employed to connect the valve to a pressurespray fluid containing tank.

Mounted on the tube slightly to the rear of the bend 24 is a lug 30,which is welded in place as at 32, such lug forming a pivotal fulcrumsupport for a manual control lever 34, which lever is generally ofchannel or U-section, and is pivoted to the lug 30 as at 36. The leverreference characters as fabriexposed valve pin 18 extending from thebody 10. Such U-member is adapted to be rotated manually from theposition shown in Figure 1, where its flanks 48 and 50 are sufficientlyspaced to embrace the lever arm loop 38, to a position 90 therefrom,where the edges of such flanks engage the arm 38 to hold the valve open,such valve internally being similar to that shown in Patent No.2,285,010, and being spring-seated.

In Figures 3 and 4, thereris shown the body portion 10 as fabricatedfrom sheet stock drawn to the thimble shape shown, and the tubularmember 20 from which the inlet conduit and handle are subsequentlyformed. The end 52 of the tubular member 20 is squared off and is causedto bear against the cylindrical wall 14 of the body means such asgenerally indicated by the guide block 56.

welding current.

Electrical connections for welding are made to the body portion 10 andthe tubular member 20 as at 58 and 60, and such connections lead to awelding transformer 62 having a timer 64 for limiting the time of flowof the With the parts mounted in. the relation shown, the weldingcurrent is applied while pressure is exerted as at A, whereupon fusiontakes place atthe contact between the tube 20 and the body portion 10.The pressure exerted in the direction of arrows A causes the tube 20 tofollow up asthe metal is fused at the point of contact and the currentflow is regulated as to intensityand time, so that the contactingtransverse end of the tubular member 20 becomes fused around its entirecircumference 66 and in its contact with the 'metal' of the body portion10. The transverse end is fused during the operation to a saddle shape,the periphery of which fuses with the wall metal of the member 10.

The welding operation is performed while the body portion 10 is in thesolid thimble form as shown in Figures 3 and 4; and after the weldingoperation is completed, and the wall of the tube 20 at its end is fusedcontinuously around its entire circumference to the body portion 10, anelongated drill of a diameter slightly less than the internal bore ofthe tube 20 is inserted lengthwise through the tube 20, and the aperture68 is then drilled in the body portion 10. After the aperture 68 isdrilled, the drill is removed, and the tubular member 20 is curved as at24 to form a substantially arc, whereupon the rearwardly extendingportion 28 extends substantially parallel with the axis of the bodyportion 10. Thereafter, the remaining operations, including the removalof flash metal, to complete the integral body portion and inlet tube andhandle described are performed, and the parts assembled, whereby thevalve construction generally shown in Figure 1 results.

It will be appreciated that by butt welding the end of the tube 20 tothe side wall of the body portion 10 without any aperture having beenpreviously provided in the body portion 10, the strength of the parts isadequate during the welding, and any problem of alignment is completelyeliminated, and that by drilling the hole to complete the passage forthe tube 20 into the body portion 10 after the welding operation iscompleted, perfect alignment is attained.

The parts of the body portion 10 and the tubular part 20 are made ofordinary sheet steel and steel tubular 2,953,841 Ice Patented Sep 6stock, of such characteristics in regard to carbon content as may befound desirable, and as will be well understood in the art. The partsupon completion may be polished and plated, or otherwise treated, sothat the entire structure has good appearance aspects, is light, and hasadequate strength. The necessity of employing high cost materials suchas brass or bronze, as well as expensive casting processes heretoforeemployed, are thus eliminated.

The valve, as shown in Figure 6, comprises an end nipple 70 threaded inthe flared end of the thimble 14, such nipple having a port 72 adaptedto act as a valve seat. The valve stem 18 is tapered as at 74 at itsforward end to cooperate with the seat formed by the port 72. The stemhas a compression spring 76 arranged thereon and held between washers 78and 80, the washer 78 bearing against the split ring retainer 82, whilethe washer 80 bears against a packing ring 84. It will be seen that thevalve stem has a free axial movement, and that the lever arm, beingslidable on the head 40, permits the valve stem to move fore and aft onits axis and allows the same to rotate, so that even wear on the taperedend and the port 72 results, promoting long life, with perfect seating.

While a single embodiment of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed, it is to be understood that the invention is not limitedthereto. As various changes in the construction and arrangement may bemade without departing from the spirit of the invention, as will beapparent to those skilled in the art, reference will be had to theappended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

A divisional application, Serial No. 657,424, filed May 6, 1957, isdirected to the subject matter of the valve.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of making the body and inlet conduit assembly of a manualspray valve which comprises butt resistance welding the open squared endof an elongated straight ferrous metal inlet conduit to the imperforatecylindrical side wall of a ferrous metal body portion by electricalresistance welding, controlling the flow time of the welding currentwhile forcing the conduit toward the body and during the upset andfusion of the contact metal to form a saddle like end fused to said bodyportion, thereafter drilling a hole through the body portion inalignment with said inlet conduit after welding by extending a drillthrough the conduit, and thereafter curving the welded end of said tubethrough an arc of whereby the free end of said tube extendssubstantially parallel with the axis of said body, portion along a linespaced from the axis of the body portion by substantially the radius ofsaid arc.

2. The method of making the body and inlet conduit assembly of a manualspray valve which comprises drawing a thimble from sheet ferrous metalstock to form a body portion having a cylindrical wall, substantiallyclosed at one end and flared at the other, butt resistance welding theopen end of an elongated straight inlet ferrous metal tube to anintermediate portion of the cylindrical wall of said body, thereafterdrilling a hole in said wall in alignment with said tube by extending adrill into said tube, thereafter forming said tube to provide a handleby bending the welded end of said tube through an arc of 90 to cause thefree end to extend parallel with the axis of the thimble in thedirection of the closed end of said thimble, and attaching a fulcrum lugto said conduit by welding at a point to the rear of said body portion,said lug extending part way toward the axis of said body portion andlying in the common plane of the thimble axis and the axis of theconduit free end.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,208,850 Mayer July 23, 1940 2,285,010 Bullock June 2, 1942 2,335,987Young Dec. 7, 1943 2,425,645 Ryan Aug. 12, 1947 2,436,701 Sundholm Feb.24, 1948 2,462,291 Sette Feb. 22, 1949 2,528,280 Lyon Oct. 31, 19502,710,443 Webb June 14, 1955 2,736,949 Kraemer Mar. 6, 1956 FOREIGNPATENTS 361,204 France 1906 48,712 Austria 1911 306,299 Germany 1918832,632 France Sept. 29, 1938 767,557 Great Britain 1952 703,759 GreatBritain 1954

